Two men arrested after stealing car, fleeing from Kansas Highway Patrol
24 October 2023
PRATT COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW) – One person was rushed to the hospital after they were shot by a sheriff’s deputy in Pratt County following a multi-county police chase.
It all started around 10 a.m. Monday morning in Kingman County over a stolen car. A man and a woman led police on a chase to a Casey’s in Pratt County. The two fled the vehicle and ran.
Deputies caught the woman, and the man stole another truck, this one belonging to the City of Pratt. Investigators used stop sticks on U.S. Highway 54. During that time, a Pratt County Sheriff’s Office deputy shot the suspect.
One employee at the Casey’s says that it was a scary situation for guests and staff.
Crystal James said she was working at the register when the first law enforcement vehicle sped by. She then watched as the two suspects pulled into the parking lot.
“I see the van come in, and like there’s smoke everywhere because their tires blew. Like, full on blew,” said James.
She watched as the man and woman fled the vehicle.
“They were like, ‘What’s going to happen, what’s going to happen.’ And then I, like, saw him when he ran. I saw him run that way, and I went and told the sheriffs that,” said James. “I was out there trying to get everyone to come inside in case he had a gun on him. I didn’t know or anything, so I didn’t want him to shooting people, and so we all just stayed inside.”
She continued to watch as deputies chased down the two suspects.
“The girl, like, jumps out before it’s even stopped, and then she rolls, and then she runs. They tase her down and then tackle her down,” said James.
The man escaped the scene using a City of Pratt vehicle.
“Over on the backside of our store, parked where the semis are. He steals it, almost hitting a sheriff and just zooms,” said James.
The pursuit left the store, but not the minds of customers and staff.
“There was like 30 cops here, I swear. Thirty cops, guns were pulled and everything. It was wild. Everyone ran inside because they were scared because police had the guns out,” said James.
She trusted authorities to handle the situation. Now that it’s over, she is relieved.
“I was just glad that everyone was safe. Most of them stayed calm except the moms with babies, but everyone handled it really good for the most part,” said James.
The male suspect who was shot is now in the hospital, and the woman is in custody. No officers were injured.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is investigating.